Thimble screw driver set



Sept. 20, 1949. J, A, LENlz THIMBLE SCREW-DRIVER SET Filed March '7, 1946 Inventor a oefllien z'z Patented Sept. 20, 1949 ES PATENT OFFICE THIlWBLE SCREW DRIVER SET Joe A. Leniz, Reno, Nev., Industries, Inc., Reno,

Nevada assignor to Dulcinaire Nev., a corporation of Application March 7 1946, Serial No. 652,683 1 Claim. (Cl. 145-50) This invention relates to improvements in thimble screw driver sets adapted to be supported on the end of a finger and rotated by the thumb of a hand.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved tool or implement including an inner sleeve or thimble adapted to be supported upon a finger, and an outer thimble supported on said inner thimble for rotation thereabout having means for detachably supporting the shank of a screw driver or socket wrench which will be operated by relative rotation between said thimbles.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved thimble screw driver or wrench set which will be supported on the end of a finger and rotatably operated by the adjacent thumb for Working on very fine or detailed work which is not possible to be done with tools of the usual size.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a thimble operated screw driver or socket wrench set which will be highly eflicient in use and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

Other objects will appear as proceeds.

In the accompanying part of this application,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the thimble screw driver kit or set, showing an operating hand and a screw in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the thimble operating head;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a socket wrench for use with the thimble operating head, and

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view through the socket wrench showing the same in operative position over a nut and bolt.

Like characters of reference are used throughout the following specification and accompanying drawings to designate like parts.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided an inner sleeve or thimble I being of a similar inner diameter throughout its length, the same bein formed with a rounded lower edge 2, and an annular seat 3 formed on its outside surface adjacent its upper end.

A cooperating detachable and separable hollow thimble or operating head 4 is provided with a raised knurled operating band 5 about its central periphery for engagement by the thumb of a hand for rotating said head, and is adapted to be disposed concentrically about the inner thimble l. The diameter of the inner wall of head 4 is slightly larger than the outside measurement of the description drawings which form a the sleeve or thimble l,

and is formed with an upper head, which is approximately even with the annular seat 3 on the inner ferrule or thimble l. The upper end of the operating head 4 is internally threaded as at I, and is adapted to receive the locking ring 8 which is externally threaded at 9, to be placed between said thimble l and head 4 to engage and rest on said annular seats 3 and 6 to hold the several parts in assembled position. oppositely disposed kerfs 25 are formed in the upper edges of the ring 8 to be engaged when insertin or removing the ring.

A dished seat In is formed in the central bottom of the head 4 and serves to receive the outermost tip or end of a finger. The lower end portion of the head 4 is tapered as at H and is formed with a flat lower end surface [2 through which a square tool shank supporting aperture 13 is formed. A locking nut I4 is formed in one surface of the aperture l3, and is adapted to receive and seat the ball bearing [5 set in one side of the square end IS on the tool shank, generally denoted by the reference character I1.

There are two tools illustrated, one being a screw driver l8 and the other a socket wrench l9, formed on the lower end of said shanks 11.

Positioning thimbles 20 will be formed about the upper ends of the tool shank [9 for engagement with the fiat under surface I2 of the outer ferrule or head 4.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that in use, a finger will be placed in the ferrule or thimble l with the tip or lower end of the finger seated in the dished seat It! in the central bottom portion of the operating head 4, after which the head may be rotated by engagement of the thumb with the raised knurled operating band, and a screw 2| tightened or removed by the screw driver attachment, or a nut 22 may be tightened or unscrewed when the socket wrench is inserted in the head 4.

It will be understood that there has been devised a highly eflicient form of finger operated inner seat 6 about its rotatable device for operating screw drivers or socket wrenches and other tools of a small size, which devices will be highly eflicient in operation, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

-. While the instant invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention thereto, as many minor changes in detail of construction may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A miniature tool holder for a rotary tool comprising a finger receiving cylindrical sleeve having an annular shoulder on the outer surface H a, nd a l nqri a fillel n.- centricallfir disldosedabput the sleeve and :cirgunh ferentially spaced therefrom, said shell having an open end and a substantially closed end, said closed end forming a reduced axially disposed tool receiving in said socket, internally threaded, a 1 v between said sleeve and shell *andhaving=an outer exteriorly threaded surface engaged with thereof adjacent one the open end of s aid shell being the threaded end of the shell and also ;haying;

an inner bearing surface concentrically disposed about said sleeve and received on shoulder for providing independent rotation of the sleeve and-'- shellz'. and a. centrally. disposed socket, means for lgglgirgg-"a tpgl said annular Q e r e; s s d.

concave recess in the inner surface of said closed end for accommodating the forefinger of a user.

I JOE A. LENIZ. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file.v Qfi, this. natent:

UNITED- STATES PATENTS Number N umber Austria Sept. 10, 1937 

